Journey: A Pokemon Story
by RandomWriter74
Summary: Neo the Deino is normal enough, save for being tampered with to have eyes. He escapes from his 'home' and stumbles upon Abel, an insecure and shiny Snivy who has just left his nest. From there, the two embark on an adventure where they meet colorful characters and try to find a safe haven, if such a thing exists. Rated K plus for very minor language.
1. Chapter 1

"Stop that Pokemon!"

The Deino did not care about the noises the people were making. He could understand, but understanding was not his priority. He scampered through the halls, ignoring the shouts and the frantic footsteps of his pursuers. Every now and then he would glance back, and take a sharp turn to confuse them. Sometimes he would get away, but only for a little while. He always seemed to run right into another group of people, who would in turn dive to catch him. But grabbing onto a thirty eight pound dark-dragon type Pokemon was not an easy feat. He would bite, struggle, and kick his way free from his captors hands, and resume running.

Swerving around a corner, the Deino ducked behind some crates. He panted, but after a quick inhale, steadied his breathing. He was sure he had evaded them this time. Sure enough, the noises of his pursuers entered his hearing, then quickly vanished. The Deino peered around the corner of the box, and was quite content that he had duped them. He scampered further into the storage unit, after all an exit had to be around here somewhere.

The Deino appeared normal enough to an untrained eye. He was two feet, seven inches, and had short body. Four stubby legs kept the Deino upright, and he was adorned with black fur that went from the top of his head to the center of his chest. The back of his head possessed the single, long strand of hair, and violet dots were scattered on his chest fur. Yet this Deino was different in one crucial area; his face. He had a central bang of hair that nearly reached his snout, but the rest of his bangs were shorter. This in turn, revealed the Deino's most startling characteristic, which was his eyes. Deinos are biologically blind upon hatching, and only receive their eyes once evolving into Hydreigon. However, this Deino was tampered with since his conception. His creators had given him the gift of sight, and he had no idea why this was the case. In fact, he assumed the forms that greeted him upon his birth were his parents. Whatever the case, the Deino's eyes gave him more perception where he should have none. This allowed him to notice how off is home really was. He spent most of his life in a glass enclosure, and was poked and prodded by appendages he did not understand. When he wasn't being bothered, the Deino would watch other Pokemon in different rooms being poked and prodded by similar, alien arms. After observing this for who knows how long, the Deino concluded that his home was not the place he wanted to stay. So the Deino had attempted to escape several times, if his memory was to be believed. It probably was not, but he did not care.

The Deino carefully maneuvered in between the crates, and kept his senses alert. Even if he had escaped for now, he was sure someone would find him. Nevertheless, he found a crate that he was confident about hopping onto, and without grace attempted to clamber up. Being so short, this task proved to be difficult for him, not to mention very loud. Upon clawing onto the highest crate, the Deino began to search. There had to be an exit somewhere. Using his keen eyes, the Deino quickly spotted what he was looking for. At the other end of the winding maze of crates, was a clearing. Embedded within the wall was a set of double doors, and the Deino's eyes lit up with excitement. This was his chance. The Deino chuckled with glee, and hopped down to the floor. He scampered through the winding maze of crates, and soon found himself in the open space. The exit was right in front of him, but to his dismay, the doors were absurdly tall. He pouted a bit, and tried to find a handle. Alas, despite his scurrying back and forth, the Deino could not find a visible handle to the door. He was wasting too much time, and sooner or later, he would get caught again. The Deino frantically glanced around, but he could not find a means of escape.

"You lost again?" A familiar voice spoke. The Deino groaned upon hearing this. He reluctantly turned to face his captor, who strolled out of the darkness. The Pokemon was a dark type dog, with thick black fur going from the back of her head to the tip of her tail. However, the Pokemon's face and lower body fur was a lighter gray, but went back to black past the elbow. Her glowing red eyes stared him down with contempt, and the Pokemon drew her mouth into a slight snarl. "No use running anywhere now, you're cornered kid."

"Kid? Aw Vixen, I'm an adult now." The Deino mocked whined. Vixen, the Mightyena, chuckled darkly.

"You'll always be a child in my eye, given your habits. You are disobedient, stubborn, and when you don't get what you want, you either scream or run away." Vixen moved her right paw to emphasize the last bit of her monologue. This was boring the Deino. Vixen had thwarted his attempts at escape before, or at least most of them. He probably got caught by some other guard Pokemon, but Vixen just seemed to be the most responsible. She was also, in his eyes, a sadistic jackass who loved to torment any Pokemon that tried to escape from this place. To add to his list of grievances, she enjoyed a good monologue all the darn time.

"You're no fun…" The Deino remarked, taking the time to lick his right paw. "I just want to know what's out there."

"You don't belong out there." Vixen answered sternly. "This is your home, and it's my duty, as your care keeper," The false concern in her voice was evident, "to make sure you stay within these walls. Now, if you'll just follow me, I'll escort you back to your lovely enclosure. Obey me, and I won't have to beat the tar out of you. Doesn't that sound nice?"

The Deino yawned. The threat of being physically harmed used to terrify him. His first escape attempt ended up with him getting beaten senseless, and it halted his desire to escape for an nondescript amount of time. However, the Deino would usually be no worse for wear the next day. The humans, for whatever reason, would always restore him to full health after these beatings. It was just another bizarre instance that made the Deino want to escape. It also made Vixen's threat an empty one.

"It really doesn't, and besides, this place just seems, heartless, you know?" The Deino gestured over to the doors. "It's probably very nice out there, and if you do subdue me again, I'll just try to escape again later." Vixen glared at the Deino, yet grew a smirk.

"I figured you would refuse, and honestly, it's more fun that way." Vixen growled, and without warning, attempted to pounce the Deino. However, he had scampered to the side, avoiding Vixen's attack. Despite his legs being stumpy, the Deino leaped with surprising force. Vixen turned right as the Deino headbutted her in the side, which sent the Mightyena rolling to the ground. Upon landing, the Deino sat down innocently. Vixen rolled back to her feet, and snarled lowly. The fury in her eyes was evident.

"Honestly," The Deino began, but Vixen suddenly became a blur and rushed him. Without any time to react, the Deino was slammed hard by Vixen's Quick Attack. This sent him careening into a wall, and the Deino yelped upon landing. He shook his head to regather himself, and rolled to avoid Vixen's jaws snapping past him.

"Can't we just talk about this?" The Deino hopped backwards, avoiding another one of Vixen's bites. Vixen reared her head back, and lunged again. However, the Deino sidestepped, and retaliated with a bite of his own on Vixen's scruff. The Mightyena howled in pain, and thrashed to dislodge the Deino. He remained firmly attached, despite being slammed against the floor and any crates Vixen stumbled into. However, these repeated slams did eventually loosen his grip, and the Deino was shaken off. He flew off at an awkward angle, and had no time to land on his feet. The Deino bounced and skidded along the ground, and upon finally came to a rough stop. He glanced up, and smiled sheepishly. Vixen was still reeling from his bite, and had gritted her teeth in anger. Her snarl was no longer subtle now.

"Hey, don't look at me like that." The Deino snapped, rising to his feet, "I was only-" A rush of flames struck the Deino from the side, and propelled him into a stray crate. The Deino collapsed on the ground, and wheezed a bit. That time he hit his ribs, and having the wind knocked out of oneself is not pleasant at all.

"Well, well, I seem to have found the party!" A rough voice spoke. Striding into the clearing, the second dark type dog was a little taller than Vixen. However, his coloring made him appear like Satan himself, with a vibrant red muzzle and belly. The rest of his fur was colored like darkened soot, and the Pokemon possessed the classic demon tail with a triangle at the end of it. He even had curled ebony horns, which curved inwards towards his jaw. The Deino glanced up and smiled.

"Hi Brutus, how ya-" Brutus slammed his left paw down onto the Deino's back, making the dragon cough.

"Shut yer mouth you little runt!" Brutus yelled. "I'm sick of you! Every time I have to catch you during one of your escape attempts!"

"We, Brutus, We." Vixen corrected, trotting over to the taller dog. "You can't take all the credit you know." Brutus shot Vixen an annoyed look.

"Who cares who gets the credit?" Brutus rolled his eyes, adding, "You're just trying to impress Damian again." Vixen shook her head in either confusion or anger. Possibly both, the Deino couldn't tell. Regardless, it was still humorous to watch Vixen stumble over her words.

"Why, no!" Vixen snapped. "I'm just trying to maintain my position here, unlike some lazy dog I know."

"Lazy?!" Brutus glared down at Vixen and turned fully towards the Mightyena. "From what I remember, you were the one-"

"Excuse me?" The two looked down to the Deino, who had rolled free of Brutus' paw. To their collective shock, his eyes were glowing pure white. The Deino smirked. "You two talk too much." Opening his maw, the Deino expelled a powerful white beam. Brutus and Vixen scrambled in opposite directions, and the beam rocketed past them. It punched through the roof, sending detritus crashing down onto the floor. Some chunks of rubble punctured crates below and sent the contents sprawling across the floor. After a few seconds, the Deino ceased the beam, and panted heavily. He glanced up, and reared his head back in shock at the destruction he caused. Vixen's eyes were wide as dinner plates, and she stared at the Deino.

"Wh-When did you learn that?" She inquired.

"Honestly, I have no idea." The Deino took the time to lower himself and scratch an itch on his neck with his back right leg. "Just sorta, came to me, you know?" Vixen shook herself out of her shock, and growled lowly. She pounced again, and this time succeeded in colliding with the Deino. The two rolled as they grappled, and Vixen used her left hind leg to kick the Deino off. He collided into the corner of the wall, and the Deino landed roughly. He looked up, only to be greeted by a wall of flames that washed over him. After a few seconds, the flames ceased, and he was now covered in soot. The Deino was backed into a corner, with Brutus and Vixen glaring him down while snarling fiercely. This was turning ugly fast, and the Deino's act of destruction was sure to bring more guards his way. He needed to act fast, and after a brief moment, the Deino had an idea.

"Alright, alright, you got me." The Deino proclaimed. "I surrender." Brutus burst out laughing at this.

"He really thinks he can fool us?" He stated to Vixen, who also broke out into a giggle fit. The Houndoom snapped his head back to the Deino. "We are not gullible, runt."

"No really, I'm beat." The Deino insisted. "After all, here I am in the corner, no way out, and there's probably an army right that is going to arrive shortly. "

"Shut it." Vixen snapped. "You had your chance."

"So did you." The Deino remarked, and reared back onto his hind legs. He then charged the two, and Vixen was the first to leap at him. The Deino slid onto his side, and Vixen went sailing over him. He rebounded back onto his feet, and hopped headfirst into the awaiting Brutus. This sent the dog skidding backwards, and the Deino analyzed his situation. Just as he wanted, Vixen was a good distance behind him, and he had put space between himself and Brutus. There was only one more step in the Deino's plan. He looked back to Brutus and sneered at him.

"Yeah, Vixen has a point, you really are lazy." He spit his tongue, which made Brutus's whole maw glow bright orange. The Deino laughed, and turned his back to Brutus. He looked to Vixen, who had hunched down and was preparing to charge him. The Deino scratched at the ground with his left paw, and raced to the Mightyena. Vixen sneered, and charged at the Deino. Brutus had flames swirling in his jaws and reared his head back.

"You're finished!" Vixen yelled.

"I'm sorry!" The Deino countered.

Brutus unleashed his flamethrower at the Deino, who promptly ducked as he felt the heat behind him. Vixen skidded to a halt, eyes wide in shock, and was struck in the chest by the flamethrower. She was sent careening into the rubble, and Brutus halted his attack. He glanced past the Deino, and winced upon seeing his ally knocked out cold among the detritus.

"Whoops…"

The Deino whirled around back to Brutus, eyes glowing once more. Brutus tucked his tail between his legs and turned to flee. He was too little, too late. The Deino expelled a beam of Dragon Breath, which rushed forth and struck the Houndoom in the rump. Yelping, Brutus careened into the floor, and the beam punctured the wall behind him. The Deino struggled to keep the beam alive, and swung his head around. Like a theoretical knife through butter, the beam tore through the surrounding walls and through the double doors. The Deino wheezed, and his beam vaporized. He glanced up, and saw his chance. The Deino scurried forth, and hopped through the gash he created. Landing awkwardly on the other side, the Deino disappeared into the lush forest as alarms rang behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

The damages done to the Solace Institute was not helping Damian's particularly sour mood. The CEO was a fairly young man, twenty six years old in fact. He always presented himself in a white suit with a black tie, and Damian kept his dark brown hair slicked back. It helped maintain his professional appearance. However, his mind was a storm of various emotions. He was furious with his team for once more failing to contain the Crucial Pokemon Test Subject, CPTS for short, and deeply disappointed with his guard Pokemon for allowing the CPTS to escape. He frown tightened, and so Damian took a deep breath to calm himself. It would help him ignore the mess in front of him, if only for a moment.

"Sir?" One of the worker's spoke, catching Damian's attention. The man winced slightly as Damian turned his glare at the man. "We-we've estimated the cost of the damages…"

"The damages are irrelevant." Damian gestured with his left hand to the disaster scene that plagued the storage unit. "I can replace all of our experimental serums, stat altering nutrients, and even rebuild the whole storage unit if I wanted to. What I can't replace, is a vital experiment that we allowed to escape!" Damian shook his head and crossed his arms behind his back. "Return to your duties, now." The worker nodded and made his hurried exit through an automatic door. Damian turned his attention back to the destruction that the CPTS had caused. He watched as contractors were forced to used forklifts that had been modified to act as small bulldozers, since they had to clear the rubble in a relatively confined space. The CEO was impressed with the power that the CPTS had demonstrated, but that power was useless to him if he couldn't reclaim the Pokemon.

"Giving a Deino eyes was supposed to make it easier to reign in…" Damian muttered to himself, equally disappointed in both his team and himself. It wasn't easy to admit his pride had caused this whole situation to boil over, after all, Damian had a deep admiration for the so called Pseudo Legendaries. With all of his institute's successes, making one of the most notoriously difficult Pokemon to raise obedient upon birth was an idea Damian couldn't resist. Paradoxically, giving the Deino eyes had only allowed it to make acute observations that conspired with Damian's plan. But Damian shook his head, since now wasn't the time to dwell on trivial details. Placing his right index finger and thumb in his mouth, Damian whistled for Vixen and Brutus. After a few seconds of waiting, the two dogs arrived from the clearing. Vixen was wearing a very bitter expression, while Brutus had his head hung in shame.

"Look, I'm sorry." Brutus started.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Vixen grumbled, and shot an accusatory glance to her ally. "I had everything under control before you decided to show up."

This snapped Brutus out of his shame, and he clenched his teeth.

"Excuse me? Last time I checked, the runt had you on the ropes. I was only helping you in subduing it!"

"Well, you fell for the runt's trick!" Vixen snapped. "You helped me so much! Blasting me with Flamethrower, that was such a big help!"

"Hey!" Brutus got in Vixen's face, glaring down the Mightyena. "You fell for the runt's trick too! Why did you attack first?!"

"Oh, that somehow makes everything okay now, doesn't it?" Vixen suddenly slapped Brutus with her left paw. "Idiot! You're nothing but a stupid mutt!" Brutus howled angrily and the two started to slash and bite at each other. Damian watched with deep displeasure, and he had enough.

"Silence!" He hissed in Poke Tongue, catching the two's attention. Vixen backpedaled and looked to the floor, while Brutus dropped himself into a sitting position. Damian slowly approached them, looking down at the two with contempt. "It is both of your faults for allowing the CPTS to escape!"

"We didn't allow it to per say," Brutus started, but laughed nervously upon Damian's glare hardening. "But hey! Who's to say, we-we were tricked! R-Right Vixen?"

"That doesn't excuse your failure." Damian stated, glancing over to Vixen. "Either of you." Vixen whined a little, refusing to look up. Damian stood there, contemplating his words. He took another deep inhale, and exhaled slowly. His glare faded, and Damian bent down and brushed his left hand through Vixen's fur.

"However, the blame is not solely on you." He softly muttered, and shot a glance to Brutus. "Either of you." Vixen finally brought herself to look up at Damian, now thoroughly confused. Brutus perked up, tail wagging.

"So, we're off the hook?" Damian laughed wholeheartedly at this.

"No." He answered flatly, taking the time to ruffle the fur on Vixen's head. "Follow me, and I'll let you know what the plan is going forward." With that, Damian turned and exited through the automatic door. He snapped his right fingers, signaling for Vixen and Brutus to follow. The two shot uncertain glances to each other, and quickly trotted after their master. As they traversed through the winding halls, Damian shot occasional glances through the various windows. Some had merely offices on the other side, but the further they progressed, they began passing experiment rooms.

"You see, it is your job to keep our subjects contained within Solace Institute." Damian began. Brutus rolled his eyes at this, since he had to listen to this monologue several times. Damian paid no attention to the Houndoom, and continued, "I share the belief with many, respected Poke Scientists that Pokemon are truly special creatures. We only know so much, despite hundreds of years studying them. Pokemon, like yourselves, possess so much potential and yet trainers have only been able to scratch the surface. Sure, there are regulated nutrients on the market that allow Pokemon to have increased attack, defense, blah blah blah. But those supplements follow ethical guidelines, and thus are incapable of bringing out their true power." Damian gestured over to one of the passing experiment rooms. On the inside, two scientists were observing a small Patrat within a glass enclosure no more than thirty feet wide and ten feet tall. The chipmunk Pokemon seemed innocuous enough, and was staring at a cluster of weights. Placing its fingers on its forehead, the Patrat's eyes suddenly developed a swirling pattern. A pink glow highlighted the weights, and slowly levitated off the floor of the enclosure. The Patrat was visibly straining, and eventually gasped. The psychic link that the Patrat created was shattered, and the weights came crashing back down. Without a word, the scientists recorded their findings. Damian smirked and kept on walking.

"Of course, if advances in Pokescience are to be made, some rules must go. We've developed serums that have enhanced a Pokemon's abilities more than what market supplements could ever dream of." The group passed by another experiment room, which was much larger than the last. This was because it held a gargantuan occupant, which was a Scolipede. Unlike the regular species, it stood at ten feet tall and its normal red, segmented carapace was a dull gray. Upon command from a scientist, the creature's tail became illuminated with a vibrant purple glow. Shrieking, the Scolipedie swung its entire body around, and slashed through a chunk of steel. The block split apart, and was sizzling from the venom that the Scolipede's Poison Tail had transferred. Vixen and Brutus looked to each other and gulped. They were relieved that this CPTS had not attempted escape before.

"We raise Pokemon from eggs, and inject them with the serums to enhance any trait that I desire." Damian finished, and resumed walking. "The only logical step was to go from enhancing a Pokemon's capabilities to giving select species traits that they would not have otherwise. Case in point, the Deino that escaped." The two dark types followed after him, and Vixen shook her head.

"So what's your point?" Vixen inquired.

"My point is that even if you two failed to keep a vital CPTS from escaping," Damian snapped, "we are all at fault for this. I expected that my team of professional Pokemon experts would be able to keep it obedient, and also to correct any undesirable traits that would hamper this. Clearly," Damian shot a furious look into one of the passing experiment rooms, causing the scientists inside to quickly look away, "they were unable to keep the CPTS disciplined, and it's my fault for trusting them." Damian sighed, and signaled for the two dogs to stop. They had reached a set of doors with an identification pad to Damian's left. He quickly punched in the code, and pressed his thumb against the fingerprint scanner. The doors quietly pulled apart and the group entered Damian's office. On the inside was Damian's spacious room, Vixen and Brutus tilted their heads in surprise. A group of men in dark attire were standing before them. They all had vests with various tools strapped on, and some had net launchers strapped to their backs. Damian turned back to Vixen and Brutus.

"You two are familiar with my retrieval team, correct? Damian questioned. Vixen and Brutus glanced to each other, than back to Damian.

"Of course!" Brutus answered. "They just have never been used befor-ohhhh…"

"Precisely." Damian crossed his arms. "Clearly since you two couldn't capture the CPTS on your own, I'll have you two aide my men in retrieving it." Vixen blinked several times in shock.

"You-you're giving us another chance?

"Everyone deserves another chance, no matter how badly they screwed up." Damian answered. "Besides, leaders who execute their followers for their mistakes are wasting their resources and will soon lose the respect and loyalty of said followers." Damian turned to the central retrieval team member, who wore a bushy beard.

"These two are going to sniff out the trail that the CPTS left." Damian spoke in English, and withdrew a piece of dark hair from his pocket and handed it to the man. "Do whatever it takes to capture it." The retrieval team member gave a curt nod, and Damian looked back to Vixen and Brutus.

"Do I make myself clear?" Damian asked in Poke Tongue. The duo quickly nodded.

"We'll get the job done." Vixen answered.

"Good." Damian frowned and turned to his desk. "Now get going!" He signaled with his right hand, and the retrieval team marched out of the office. Vixen and Brutus followed closely behind them, and the doors slid shut upon everyone leaving. With the piece and quiet of his office, Damian buried his face into both of his hands. He groaned loudly from frustration, and glanced behind him. At the very back of his office was a wide window, and it revealed the forest that the Deino had escaped into. A thousand thoughts flowed through Damian's mind, but one thing was for sure. He was going to get the Deino back one way or the other, even if he had to have his men pursue it across the entire region of Unova.


	3. Chapter 3

"Concentrate Abel. Your vines are a part of you, think of them as extensions of your arms."

Abel was a Snivy on the edge of maturity. He possessed all the characteristics that the species was known for: A round head with a pointed snout, tiny arms and legs, two yellow extensions at the base of his neck, and a three pronged tail that resembled a cartoonish rendition leaf. However, Abel had some traits that made him unique from the start. The obvious was that he was a shiny Pokemon, which resulted in his green markings to become a dull turquoise instead. His tan body was also tinted with a dull blue, but that marked the end of Abel's obvious differences. Abel's second unique characteristics were more subdued in comparison to his coloring. His snout was a little shorter than a regular Snivy, and the prongs on his tail had rounded edges. Lastly, his yellow collar blades thematically matched his small appearance by being fairly stubby. The Snivy nervously fiddled with his fingers, and looked back to his mother.

"I don't think I can do this…"

Selina nodded her head with confidence. "I know you can, you've improved so much compared to the last few times." The Serperior, in contrast to her son, was starkly average. Her coloring was normal, and the regal patterns of both her helmet and collar were just as impressive as any other Serperior. Although in Abel's mind, the normally harsh glare that Serperiors were known for was completely absent in his mother's eyes. Abel felt his anxiety lessen, so he nodded and turned back to his target. It was nothing special, he was just facing one of the many trees that surrounded his nest. After taking a few breathes, Abel set his mind to summoning his vines. Originally, he could not even get them to sprout from his collar. However, remembering his mother's words, Abel honed his focus even further. His efforts paid off, and two green stubbs slowly sprouted from the Snivy's collar.

"Good. You're doing perfect." Selina commented. She watched as the vines soon rose well past Abel's head. They then flopped uselessly on the ground, to both mother and son's surprise. Bewildered, Abel attempted to direct some input into them, yet they remained motionless. The Snivy shot a confused look to his mother, whom tilted her head in confusion.

"That's a new one…" She remarked.

"I kept focused like you said." Abel pointed out, a hint of disappointment peaking in his voice. He sighed in defeat, and the disappointment moved to frustration. "Move!" As if fate had laughed at him, the vines suddenly sprung to life, flailing about uncontrollably. Abel stumbled from the force of the erratic vines pulling him just about every direction conceivable. Selina winced at this, and also ducked as a vine lashed her way.

"How do I stop this?!" Abel stated in a very panicked tone.

"Remember, the vines are an extension of you." Selina calmly answered. "Focus on reining them in." Abel took a deep breath, scrunched up his face and stood in a position that made him look like he was trying to answer the call of nature. It took all of Selina's self control to not laugh at the posture Abel had taken, though a subtle smile decided to creep out. Thankfully, Abel's vines ceased in their thrashing, and remained suspended in the air. The Snivy let his right eye open, and glanced upwards. No sooner did he look up that the vines rocketed back into his collar, and Abel sighed in relief. Selina slithered forth, and leaned down. She nuzzled the side of Abel's head, and the Snivy hugged her snout in turn.

"That was an interesting attempt, if I'm allowed to point that out." Selina scooped her snout underneath Abel, allowing him to sit between her upright ears.

"I'm mean, yeah. I'm still disappointed I didn't get complete control over them." Abel admitted, huffing a bit. He shook his head though, and replaced his scowl with a slight grin. "But I did see the improvement this time."

"That's the spirit!" Selina turned and kept her upper half upright as she slithered into the forest. This allowed Abel to reach up and rub his hands through the leaves, a practice that helped calm his nerves. He had done this every since he was just a tiny infant.

"So, how long did it take you to learn Vine Whip?" Abel inquired. Selina squinted her eyes, mentally digging through her memory.

"It's hard to say, that was a long time ago when I was just a youngster." Selina shrugged with her stumpy arms. "Maybe by the time I was roughly your age, more or less." Abel nodded his head, and took the time to rub his jaw. He glanced up, and caught occasional glances of the clear sky above. This didn't bother him though, since he knew Selina was taking him to a clearing where Abel could absorb the sunlight more efficiently. Another thought sprung to him, and Abel glanced down to his mother's eyes.

"What was it like to be a trainer's Pokemon?"

The question caused Selina to utter a, "huh". Abel rarely asked this, since she knew he was petrified of the concept. Most young wilds were, but Selina allowed her thoughtful expression to surface.

"Well, there's really no easy answer to that question Abel. Ever trainer is different, and they all have their own goals in mind for the Pokemon they collect. Some want the best possible Pokemon to compete with, some just want companions for their travels. My trainer was in the latter category, and he was a very chill person. Trainers like him rarely capture wild Pokemon, in-fact, I got caught a long time before he even entered the picture."

"Wow…" Abel's awe was clear.

"So, I was like most other Snivys at that time. I spent most of my time in a Poke Laboratory where I was well cared for, and had the company of other Pokemon. I was one of the starter Pokemon, a concept most Pokemon Trainers are well accustomed to that I doubt you're familiar with Abel." She got a glimpse of Abel's confusion, so she continued, "Starter Pokemon are Pokemon like myself that are given to new trainers by professors. We are thematic in nature, often either belonging to the Fire, Water or Grass typing. My trainer was only ten when he picked me." Selina chuckled. "He was certainly a unique one. He rarely kept me in my Poke-ball, and my only experience in combat was against his school yard friends. So I was never in any real danger during Pokemon battles."

"So Pokemon Trainers are not bad?" Abel wondered.

"Not inherently." Selina's expression became somber though as the next thought creeped into her mind. "However, there is a third type of Pokemon trainer that always bothered me; Shiny Collectors. These trainers usually only had one goal, which was to collect every shiny they could come across. You already know that being a shiny Pokemon is more of a detriment than a blessing, since it is basically an ink stamping that says, I'm different. That's what draws in the shiny collectors, and any mention of a shiny in an area causes them to hunt an area relentlessly. And trust me, they will not quit in their pursuit of a shiny." Selina looked up to Abel. "Forgive me if I am frightening you."

Abel was disturbed by his mother's description, but he wanted to know more. "I'll be okay. What happens when they capture a shiny?"

Selina took several moments to answer, and sighed sadly. "From what my trainer told me, shiny collectors store them in the PC, and move on to the next shiny. Some keep them in their parties, but most are just content with the mere ownership of a shiny Pokemon. It reduces the Pokemon to just a badge or trophy, and I've heard that some shinies never leave the storage system…"

Abel lowered his head, since the mere thought of being trapped as a digital item depressed him immensely.

"That's just awful…" Abel muttered.

"I agree, and that's why I want you to be able to defend yourself." Selina summoned one of her vines from her collar, and reached up to stroke Abel's face gently. "However, once you master the technique, you'll be ready to explore the world. And I know that despite your worries, you want to do so very badly."

"Well, sure!" Abel spoke, having been cheered up immensely. "I like my nest, I really do, but… well… I want to see what's past the forest."

"And you will my dear." Selina reassured. "But for now, let's take the time to recharge with food and sunlight hmm?" Abel nodded his head vigorously, and he noticed the sunlight come in contact with his scales. His grass typing had already began to photosynthesize light, and Abel felt immensely refreshed. Taking the time to look up, Abel noticed they had reached their destination. The clearing was fairly small, but it was well accommodated for a vast array of Pokemon to inhabit. Most were just the simple Lillipup and Patrat, who searched the bushes for berries. Selina extended her vines once more from her collar, and had them rummage through a berry patch. After a few moments of searching, Selina's face lit up. She withdrew her vines, which had ensured a clump of oran berries. She knew these berries had minor healing properties, which made them the perfect snack for herself and Abel. Bringing one clump of berries upwards to Abel, she gently bit the other mass of berries from her vine. Abel eagerly plucked the berries from Selina's other vine, and pulled a hand full from the stem. He then shoved the berries into his mouth, and chewed contently. Selina, in contrast, nibbled delicately on her stash of oran berries. It just came with adulthood. The two basked while they ate, and of course Abel was the first to finish his meal. Letting out a satisfied noise, Abel curled up into a ball and his rested his eyes.

"Finished already?" Selina noted, though was not surprised by this. "Well, then let's return to the nest."

"Mmmmhmmm…" Abel mumbled. Chuckling to herself, Selina lowered herself to the ground and turned around to venture back into the forest. This allowed her to use her full body to slither along the ground, which made her move faster with the added benefit of staying low to the ground. She made her way back to the nest, which was more of a burrow since it traveled ten feet below the ground. Upon reaching the nest, Selina descended into the earth, and made sure to keep Abel stable on her head. Once reaching the bottom, she coiled into a compact form. Selina allowed her eyes to flutter shut, and the two drifted off into a peaceful sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

After pushing his snout through the bushes, the Deino took a moment to observe his surroundings. The forest floor was covered in foliage, with the roots of trees winding up and back into the ground. He was honestly impressed, the outside world had a sense of beauty his old home just never matched. Taking a few glances around, the Deino trotted into the clearing. Although he was fairly relaxed, he had to keep aware of his surroundings. After all, being an escapee meant that he would be tracked sooner or later. Therefore, he had to keep as much distance between himself and his possible pursuers. The Deino maneuvered himself between a set of roots, which for his mental stimulation was a blast. His time in a confined glass enclosure left little for him to do both physically and mentally. Escaping, so far, was worth it to the Deino.

A gurgling sound caught the Deino's attention, and he knew it all too well. It was the musings of his own stomach, who was demanding food. Sighing, the Deino changed his focus. He had been on the run for the whole night. Using his acute sense of smell, the Deino attempted to find the scent of food. For him, all he knew was a basic berry meal. He never knew what the berry was exactly, but he could recognize the scent. The Deino took another few whiffs, and he caught it. The sweet, savory scent of berries. Drooling a bit, the Deino scampered in the direction that his nose led him. He pushed his way past some foliage, and there it was. A full berry patch. Licking around his jaw, the Deino leapt headfirst into the berry patch. He sloppily picked any berry he could get his jaws around, and chewed quickly. Taking big gulps of berries, the Deino soon exhausted the entire patch. Emerging from the other side, the Deino burped loudly. The meal had hit its mark.

The Deino progressed through the forest, but ceased as he felt the presence of something. Whatever it was, it was watching him. Turning around, the Deino glanced around. There was nothing immediately behind him, so the Deino resorted to his sense of smell. Taking a few sniffs, he caught the smell of a Pokemon he didn't recognize. Whatever it was, it was above him. Looking up, the Deino caught sight of the mysterious intruder perched on a branch. It had a humanoid form, but was a little shorter than him. Preplexingly to the Deino, it appeared to be made entirely of metal. It wore a two toned helmet with red on the top fading into gray, and the arms and legs were also red. However, it did not have hands, the Pokemon had blades for hands. There was also two blades on the chest, and a central blade dividing the helmet. It looked down at the Deino with tiny black pupils that were surrounded by an orange glow.

"Well, this is odd." The Pokemon spoke, revealing himself as male. "I never thought I'd see a Deino this far south of Victory Road, let alone one with eyes."

The Deino rolled his eyes at this. He was always bothered by someone pointing this out to him. "Big deal. Who and what are you?"

"That's has got to be the weirdest way anyone has asked me for my name." The Pokemon responded with an amused tone. "Name's Ivan, and as for what I am, I am just a mere Pawniard." He took the time to lean against the base of the tree. "Soooooo, I'll shoot that question back to you, minus the what are you part."

The Deino pondered this. As far as he knew, he never had a name, and being called a runt didn't count. He shook his head and glanced back to Ivan.

"I… don't have one."

"Really? You are an odd one." Ivan stuck his blade hands into the branch, and swung himself around the width of the branch. He let his blades retract upon reaching the bottom of his swing, which allowed the Pawniard to drop to the ground. Upon standing back up, he crossed his arms. "So did your parents forget to name you, you forgot your name, or some mixture of the two?"

"None of the above." The Deino answered flatly, turning to wander off. However, the Pawniard was insistent, and swerved in front of the dragon. Frowning, the Deino tried to move past Ivan, but Ivan kept stepping back in front of him.

"Everyone has to have a name." Ivan pointed out, his eyes lighting up. "Say, let's give you a name! How about that?" The Pawniard spread his arms out, clearly impressed with himself. The Deino sighed, and if partaking in this game would make Ivan go away, so be it.

"Fine, name me." The Deino answered. "But hurry up, I have places to be."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Ivan began pacing back and forth, clearly absorbed in his thoughts. "Let's see, you're a dragon, so you'll need a name that invokes power and fear into your enemies. Hmmmm… Deino… Ah, I got it!" Ivan pointed to the Deino with his right blade hand. "Neo! Nice and simple, yet powerful! How about it?"

The Deino took a moment to ponder this. He really did not want to stay in the forest for too much longer, so this would do.

"Perfect, my name's Neo." The newly named Neo answered. "Now, I had a lot of fun partaking in this, but I really must be going now." Neo trotted past Ivan, or attempted to. The Pawniard's left arm suddenly shot outwards, acting as a gate. Neo scowled, and shot an annoyed glance to Ivan. "Now what?"

Ivan chuckled in a threatening tone. "You see, I'm not just going to give you a name because I'm a nice Pokemon. I'm not, and I want a fight in exchange for naming you."

Neo blinked several times.

"What…" He flatly stated.

"I didn't stutter." Ivan took several steps back, and sharpened his blade hands by grinding them together. "You see, I've gotten into several battles since getting booted from my pack. I've battled just about every type of Pokemon in every location across this entire continent. There's just one foe I haven't had the chance to tussle with, a dragon. And your kind is rare enough, so I've just struck it rich by encountering you. So come on!" Neo grew bored, and his expression showed it as he listened to Ivan. Ivan stood into a fighting pose with his left arm tucked close to his chest and his right stretched out. "Let's have ourselves a Poke-" Neo spewed a beam of Dragon Breath, striking Ivan in the chest. The beam propelled the Pawniard into a tree, and Ivan slumped onto the ground. Neo shook his head in disgust and strolled off. This encounter had taken up precious time, and his pursuers would surely have bridged the distance since Neo's escape. He got a name at the very least, but that was a very minor positive. He picked up the pace in his strides, but he didn't progress far. Ivan appeared from Neo's right, and tackled the dragon. The two bounced as they grappled along the ground, and soon tumbled down an incline in the forest. Upon reaching the bottom, the impact separated the two Pokemon. Neo flopped along the ground, while Ivan's legs kicked up from his upper body coming to a halt. The Pawniard sluggishly regained his footing, and glanced up. Neo barreled into him, propelling Ivan into a set of rocks. As Ivan laid in a daze, Neo reached down and latched his jaws around Ivan's left arm. Immediately Neo reared back in pain, his teeth aching from biting down on steel. Ivan chuckled upon regaining awareness of his surroundings.

"Steel type bud, not effective." Ivan punted Neo in the chest with his right foot, and flipped back onto his feet. As Neo staggered, Ivan began striking the dragon with a flurry of jabs. In between jabs, Ivan began spinning in place with his arms outstretched, effectively becoming a spinning top. Each impact jarred Neo, and he eventually was sent backwards from being struck several times within a few milliseconds. Ivan ceased spinning, and charged the dazed Neo. Upon reaching the dragon, Ivan spun around with his left leg raised. He attempted to roundhouse Neo, but the dragon regathered himself and ducked. Ivan turned, and was greeted by Neo's back feet slamming him in the jaw. The Pawinard got launched off his feet, and landed roughly on his back. Neo swiftly turned, and bit down on Ivan's right foot. Ignoring the pain, Neo began spinning in place, dragging Ivan into an ever increasingly fast rotation. After several rotations, Neo relinquished his grip. He toppled onto his back, while Ivan careened head first into a tree. Predictably, Ivan's helmet blade impaled the wood, leaving the Pawniard dangling above the ground. The Pawniard kicked and squirmed, but his blade remained firmly embedded in the wood. Neo rolled to his feet, and looked to his struggling foe. The sight was too humorous for Neo to take, and he burst out laughing.

"Hey!" Ivan yelled, "Don't just sit there, help me!"

Neo spit out his tongue and resumed laughing, which only made Ivan furious. Planting both feet firmly against the tree, Ivan kicked with all his might. He tore his blade from the bark, and tumbled onto the ground. Upon landing, Ivan turned and leapt into the air. He tucked himself into a ball, span several times, and rocketed back down to Neo. His helmet was glowing with white energy, and Neo glanced up to see Ivan's form come crashing down onto him. The collision of Ivan's Iron Head sent a spherical shock-wave, which stirred up dust and shook the leaves from the nearby trees. It took several minutes for the dust to settle, but once it did, Ivan stood triumphantly over the form of Neo. The dragon remained motionless, and Ivan chuckled to himself.

"Nice try, but once more, I have emerged vic-"

Neo's eyes shot open, pulsing with vibrant energy. Ivan reared back in shock, and tried to utter something. Neo blasted him with another beam of Dragon Breath, which sent the Pawniard careening into a tree. This time, Ivan punched right through the base of the tree, and it toppled over with a thunderous thud. Panting, Neo stood up uneasily, and limped over to where Ivan landed. The Pokemon's eyes were spinning in place, indicating he was unconscious.

"What a waste of time." Neo remarked, and turned around. He kicked some dust into Ivan's body, and started to limp off before he perked up. He heard rustling in the bushes, and the Deino ducked as he heard air rush past him. A net wrapped around the base of a different tree, and Neo glanced up. His pursuers had caught up with him, just as he feared. Neo had no time to flee as the retrieval team emerged from the foliage, and they tossed Poke-balls into the air. This released their Pokemon, which ranged from an upright crocodile Pokemon to what Neo could only describe as a walking bag of trash. Neo frantically looked around, but he was surrounded.

"Enjoy your getaway?" Vixen spoke, striding out from behind a retrieval team member. Brutus followed behind the Mightyena, maw flickering with flames. Neo glanced to his other foes. The crocodile Pokemon crossed its arms and sneered, while the garbage bag gurgled with a grotesque noise. Neo looked back to the two with a determined expression.

"I'm not going anywhere."


	5. Chapter 5

Selina's ears perked up, catching the commotion that was occurring several hundred feet away from the burrow. A Serperior's ears were highly sensitive after all. This jarred the grass type awake, and she reared her head up. Abel, who was in a deep sleep, had no way of staying on his mother's head. He rolled off to Selina's right, and bounced onto the ground below. Thankfully, the burrow had various bits of foliage that cushioned the fall. It was still not enough to prevent the impact from awakening the Snivy. He groggily sat up, eyes blinking slowly as he tried to get accustomed to his surroundings. Selina remained with her upper half upright, and her ears twitched as she focused in on the noises from afar. Her face shifted from concern, fear, surprise, and possibly anger. One thing was for certain though, Selina was listening in on a Pokemon battle.

"Mom?" Abel's groggy voice intercepted Selina's focus. She glanced down to Abel, and was unsuccessful at hiding her concern. She wanted to put up a brave face, but her ears would betray her by picking up another instance of fierce commotion outside. In the Serperior's mind, there was no use in lying to Abel. It would only make him even more anxious, and that was the last thing Selina wanted.

"Abel, I need you to stay in the burrow." She leaned down to be at eye contact with her son, who was much more awake and starting to intertwine his fingers. In Abel's mind, being told to stay in the burrow meant only one possible situation; trouble. He looked down nervously, and after a few moments, glanced back up to his mother.

'Trouble?" He inquired.

"There's a battle happening outside of our nest." Selina answers. "I'm going to check it out, but you have to stay here, please." Abel fiddled with his fingers, his anxiety showing itself clearly without too much resistance from the Snivy. He hated it when Selina asked him to remain put, but given his inability to use basic attacks, he had no other option.

"Please-Please come back safely…" Abel spoke, and Selina nuzzled her son in response. This broke Abel's composure, and he wrapped his tiny arms around his mother's snout tightly. After a moment, Abel relinquished his grip, allowing his mother to turn and slither out of the nest. He watched as her tail disappeared into the bright opening above, and Abel plopped onto his rump. His thoughts were a whirlwind of ideas, ranging from keeping his anxiety in check to letting his fear overwhelm him. As a result, his fiddling and nervous twitching only increased. The cycle only repeated itself as Abel battled with himself, but something occurred to Abel. Here he was, sitting in his nest and worrying for his mother's safety like a child. There was just one catch; Abel wasn't an infant anymore. He was almost fully grown, and the only thing holding him back was his inability to use Pokemon techniques. Abel took a deep breath, and mentally shoved his insecurities to the side. He stood up, and upon opening his eyes, Abel's nervous expression changed to a moderately less nervous expression. Abel took another deep breath to steady himself, but he had made up his mind.

"Stay calm...stay calm…" Abel muttered to himself. This little pep talk did little to actually help, but Abel scurried up the burrow and peaked his head outside. His mother was probably long gone, but this did not concern the Snivy. He would be able to find her very easily, and a serpentine trail in the grass was all Abel needed. Taking one last look around, Abel left the burrow and began following his mom's trail through the woods.

Selina remained low to the ground as she maneuvered through the foliage of the forest. She kept her ears attentive at all times, which allowed her to get a better grasp on the situation. By the sounds that were occurring less than one hundred feet away, there were at least five Pokemon involved. She could also make out human shouts, but what worried Selina the most was that there were more than one. In her experience, Pokemon trainers rarely captured Pokemon together. They may travel in groups, but trainers never tried capturing as a group. It was like an unspoken rule that if a trainer found a Pokemon he or she wanted to catch, then it was that trainer's responsibility and not the peers. The fact that there were multiple humans ahead distrubed Selina greatly. This meant that something more sinister was happening, and Selina had to investigate. With her son nearby, she was fearing the worst. Nonetheless, as she drew closer to the noises, Selina could get a better sense of what was happening. Based solely on the sounds, she identified a Krokorok and a Garbodor being two of the Pokemon involved. The other three she had never heard the cries of, but two were some type of dog based on the barking. The last, a dragon, which was interesting to Selina. Dragons usually never traveled this far south into Unova. Selina slithered into a set of bushes that were surrounded by trees, and as far as she was concerned, the commotion was occurring on the other side. Using one of her vines, Selina lowered some of the foliage to the point where she could just see.

In the clearing, several humans in dark attire were rushing into a circular formation. Sure enough, there was a Krokorok amongst them, who was inside the formation the humans made. The Garbodor was further back, and was wrestling something by smothering it within its bag. The two dogs, one with horns, the other with tufts of black fur, were pacing closest to the humans. Selina scowled in disgust. These had to be poachers, based on the nets and other equipment the men had strapped to their vests. What they were trying to restrain was still a mystery to Selina. She began to poke her muzzle further out of the bush, but jerked back inside after feeling something touch her side. She whipped around aggressively, but her aggression turned to shock upon seeing her son stumble onto his rump.

"Abel!?" She hissed, glancing back and forth. "What are you doing here? I told you to remain in the nest!"

"I-I…" Abel coughed, and stood up. He held his gaze with uncertainty, but wore a determined expression. "I have to know what's going on. I-I deserve that much mom."

Selina widened her eyes at this. She had never seen her son stand up for himself before. The fact that he had followed her without the Serperior noticing was also impressive to Selina.

"Well…" Selina glanced behind her to the opening she made in the bush, and gestured with her tail for Abel to step forward. "It's not a pretty sight, and something I'd rather you not see. But if you insist, just keep quiet…" Abel waddled forth, and glanced into the clearing. His hands rocketed upwards to cover his mouth as he watched the group of humans surround the group of Pokemon.

"What-What are they doing?" Abel whispered.

"Poachers…" Selina quietly answered. "The Krokorok, the two dogs, and the Garbodor are working with the humans. I haven't figured out what they are trying to catch though." Abel felt his anxiety swell back up, and he had to step back to steady his breathing. Selina protectively wrapped her tail around the Snivy's shoulders, and the Serperior took a deep breath.

"I'm going to get a better look of the situation." She told her son, and felt him snap his head around in surprise. She sighed with some frustration. "Abel, I'm not going to rush out there, I'm going to scale one of the trees. What I need is for you to stay put, and I mean that this time." She stared down at Abel, who looked around nervously. The Snivy shook his head and stared back up to his mother. He nodded, though there was still uncertainty in his eyes.

"Good…" Selina let her tail unravel from her son, and turned to her left. She poked her head out of the bush, and content that she was undetected, slithered quickly to the base of a tree. The Serperior coiled her body around the tree, and soon ascended to a little over halfway through the height of the tree. Once she secured herself by wrapping around the thickest branch, Selina peered down to the commotion. The Garbodor's bag exploded as a Deino pushed its way out, and rolled along the ground. Upon seeing the contents of its bag spilled, the trash Pokemon gurgled in annoyance and began reclaiming its detritus. The Deino had bruises all over its body, and it was panting heavily. Selina gasped at this, not because the Deino was hurt, but because the Deino had eyes.

"What on earth…" She muttered to herself.

"Do you know what's going on yet?" Abel whispered as he poked his head out of the bush.

"A Deino, they are after a Deino." Selina hissed. "One that has eyes…"

The Deino stumbled to avoid getting stomped on by the Krokorok, and the dragon lunged forward and bit the gator's left leg. As the Krokorok hissed in pain, one of the dogs rushed forth and headbutted the Deino. This sent the Deino rolling along the ground, and allowed the Garbodor to flop on top of the dragon. As the trash bag raised itself, the Deino's head stuck out the Garbodor's chest as the dragon thrashed about.

"Give up, runt." The dog with horns barked. "You've been caught."

"My name is Neo!" Neo snapped, but was showing signs of exhaustion.

"How cute…" The other snickered. "He thinks he has a name." As Selina watched, her scowl shifted into a glare. The humans were closing the circle, and Neo's thrashing was being reduced to weak shaking.

"Mom?" Abel whispered with more urgency. "We need to go!"

Selina looked to her son, and back to Neo. Watching the Deino's struggle was a miserable sight for the Serperior. She felt immense pity, and in her mind, it would be wrong to leave the dragon to his fate. Having her son nearby complicated the situation, but her mind was made up. Selina shook her head. "Stay put Abel."

"Bu-" Abel started.

"Abel." The combination of Selina's firm expression and authority in her voice silenced Abel, and he nodded in resignment. Selina unraveled herself from the tree, allowing her form to drop to the ground. She kept her upper half upright and the Serperior's vines slowly raised from her collar.

The retrieval team captain smirked to himself. For a Pokemon that had nearly razed a storage building to the ground, the capture was going fairly easy. Neo's thrashing had ceased entirely, and the dragon panted heavily. Vixen and Brutus smirked to each other, the Krokorok held its head up in pride, and the Garbodor gurgled in laughter. It was time to complete the assignment. Loading a tranquilizer dart into a pistol, the retrieval team leader raised his right arm and aimed right for Neo's head. Before the man could pull the trigger, the sound of something fast traveling through the air caught his attention. His arms were suddenly pinned to his sides as a pair of vines ensnared him. The other retrieval team members tensed in shock as their leader was jerked backwards, and they turned to see a Serperior's tail lash out. Only two members were able to duck, the rest were swept off their feet and sent careening into the ground. Vixen and Brutus both whipped around, gasping as the Serperior tossed the captain into the two panicking retrieval team members. Neo perked up, and seeing his chance, managed to rotate his entire body around while trapped in the Garbodor. His eyes glowed, and Neo spat a beam of Dragon Breath right into the Garbodor's head. This ripped him completely free of the trash bag Pokemon, and Neo dropped onto his back as his foe was launched into the woods.

Selina slithered forth and stared down her remaining foes, who had recovered from their collective shock and stood before her.

"I don't know who you are, but you better leave." Vixen snarled. "This doesn't concern you."

"Give me the Deino and I'll do just that." Selina sneered, glancing past them to see Neo try to roll to his feet. Brutus looked to the Krokorok and gestured towards Neo with his head. The gator nodded without word and stomped over to the struggling dragon. The two dark types snarled in unison, and Selina's glare hardened.

"Fine." Selina's tail began glowing a vibrant neon green, and she whirled herself around. Upon completing her turn, she slammed her tail down, attempting to strike both with a Leaf Blade. Both Vixen and Brutus dodged in opposite directions, and Vixen was the first to leap after rebounded. Selina yanked her head to the side, avoiding Vixen's jaws by less than an inch. She let a vine fly out from her collar, which snapped Brutus upside the jaw. This sent the Houndoom into the air, and he landed a few feet away. Brutus regained his footing and rolled his jaw. The strike had hurt, but his fire typing had prevented the grass type attack from doing too much damage. He whipped around and spewed a blast of Flamethrower, which Selina leaned out of the way. Vixen pounced and landed on the Serperior's back, yet Selina was able to twist her body and shake the Mightyena free.

Abel watched the battle play out from the safety of his bush. He had never seen his mom fight before, and yet there was a sense of elegance he had deep admiration for. Even being outnumbered two to one, and being at a type disadvantage against the Houndoom, Selina was keeping the two dark types on the defensive the whole battle. The Snivy turned his attention to the Deino, and gasped. The dragon was getting stomped repeatedly by the Krokorok, and it was clear he couldn't fight back. Abel frowned deeply, and he pushed his anxiety as far down as he could. He scampered out of the bush, past his mother and the dogs, and leapt into the air. He felt the sensation of his own vines sprouting from his collar, and without much thought, Abel swung his vines downward. The Krokorok was struck upside the head, and stumbled away from the Deino. Upon landing, Abel swung his left vine in a left hook, smacking the Krokorok in the face. This toppled the gator, whose eyes spun in circles. Retracting his vines, Abel slid over to Neo, and using his hands, helped the Deino stand. Neo coughed roughly, and shakily glanced to the Snivy.

"Th-thank you.." He sputtered.

"Let's just get you out of here." Abel responded, aiding the hobbling Deino back to the bush. Once Neo collapsed into the bush, Abel glanced back and his eyes widened. "Mom!"

Selina screeched as Vixen snapped her jaws shut around the back of the Serperior's neck, and Selina was unable to dislodge the dog. Brutus rushed forth and bit down on Selina's left collar, and yanked in the opposite direction. This dragged the Seperior down, and Brutus released his grip. He then slammed his two front paws down onto Selina's head, keeping her pinned to the ground. Vixen released her bite as well and leaped onto Selina, keeping the rest of the serpent retrained. Brutus' maw flickered with fire, and he reared his head back, only for Abel to slam into his side. This knocked him free from Selina, and Vixen perked up in surprise. The Mighyena was promptly struck in the jaw by one of Abel's vines, and landed roughly on her back. Abel breathed angrily, and watched as the two rolled to their feet. Vixen's eyes widened as she stood, and she looked over to Brutus.

"Am I missing a tooth?!" She yelled. Brutus peered over to Vixen and nodded.

"Yup, one of your canines too."

Vixen's fury was evident as she slowly glared over to Abel. The ferocity the dark type's expression scared the courage right out of Abel, and his legs shook with fear.

"You… are going to pay for that kid!" Vixen howled, and rushed Abel. Abel closed his eyes and braced, and missed her mother rushing past him, catching Vixen by the scruff in her jaws. With a twirl, Selina tossed Vixen into the foliage, and glared down Brutus. The Houndoom's tail retracted swiftly, and he lowered his ears is submission. He opened his mouth to speak, but yelped as Selina bared her teeth and hissed with fury. Brutus spun around and fled into the woods. With the danger gone, Selina glanced down to Abel and broke down in tears.

"Are you hurt? Tell me your not hurt!" Abel leaned back in surprise, and smiled nervously.

"I'm fine, I promise!" He reassured, "I didn't even get hit once!"

Selina sniffed a bit, and smiled gently. "You learned how to control you vines. I'm so proud of you…" Abel blinked several times, and gasped upon realizing what had transpired.

"I did control them! I-I don't even know how I did that!" Abel hugged his mom's snout, and he found himself being lifted into the air.

"For now, let's just focus on getting the Deino as far away as we can." Selina spoke, allowing Abel to roll onto her head. "Where is he?"

Abel promptly pointed to the bush with his right hand. Selina slithered over to the bush, and poked her head in. Neo perked up, and blinked uneasily.

"Um… Are they gone?" He inquired.

"For now." Selina responded. "But they will regroup, so let's get you out of here." She didn't wait for the Deino's response, and using her vines, picked him up and dropped him on her lower back. Although these events had taken an odd turn for him, Neo didn't protest. These two could be trusted, since they went through the trouble of saving his skin. Selina took one last glance behind her, then disappeared into the forest.


End file.
